Projections of Social Inequalities Due to Sea Level Rise in the Continental United States.

R. Kyle Saunders
Mathew Hauer, Florida State University

Climate change (CC) is one of the most pressing challenges of the 21st century and is likely to exacerbate social inequalities. CC studies typically focus on population totals to discuss impacts on social inequalities. With the anticipated growth of minority groups in the U.S., the potential influence on inequalities by CC is relatively undefined. We use the treadmills of production and destruction frameworks coupled with population projections to explore two research goals regarding social inequalities due to CC within the context of sea-level rise (SLR). First, who will reside in areas threatened by SLR? Second, is CC a new form of inequality or is it a new avenue for current inequalities to manifest? Our preliminary results suggest vulnerable groups will likely be most affected. SLR is not simply a new avenue for current inequalities, but the magnitude of these inequalities suggest it could be considered a new form of inequality.

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 Presented in Session 3. Population, Development, & the Environment; Data & Methods; Applied Demography